At Fault
by quicksi7ver
Summary: When a mission goes wrong, Jack is forced to make a choice. Can the Phoenix team live with the consequences of that choice? Is everything really as it seems? Mac!Whump
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! This is my first fanfiction story so constructive criticism is appreciated, but flames are not. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own MacGyver or any of the characters. I can dream, but such is life.**

"All I'm sayin' is if we'd done it my way we'd be on our way home right now," Jack grumbled, glancing tentatively around the corner of the crate he, Mac, and Riley were hiding behind. Mac sighed and rolled his eyes.

"No Jack, if we'd done it your way, we'd all be sleeping with the fishes right now," Mac griped back exasperatedly. Jack made a face.

"I still say I coulda swam that…and it's 'fish' not 'fishes' smarty pants," Jack shot back, looking nervously over his shoulder again. They were still being fired at, but the shots had slowed down. Either the goons they'd come to take down were conserving ammo or they were reloading. Jack had a bad feeling he knew which they were doing. Mac fought down a groan.

"I don't care how badass you think you are Jack, you could not have held your breath for the nine minutes it would have taken you to get to shore without being seen. This island is guarded from all sides. It was a miracle we could even sneak in up that cliff face. I mean they're not just going to leave a stolen nuke unguarded Jack….And it's 'fish' if it's one species. There are multiple species in that water, therefore the technical term would be 'fishes'," Mac groused, his eyes flitting around in search of useful objects to get them out of their current predicament. Finding an open box, he smiled. Jack leaned over and fired a few shots to keep them at bay, then checked his gun.

"I'm about out of ammo dude, so if you're gonna do somethin' I suggest you do it soon. And since you're so sure I couldn't have made it without breathin', why couldn't you have whipped me up some scuba gear out of some plastic baggies and straws or somethin'?" Jack asked, trailing off with a mutter of something that sounded suspiciously like 'Grammar Nazi'. Mac rolled his eyes again, reaching for a bundle of colorful wires and an old radio.

"I could have made you an aqualung out of our boat, Jack, but in case you've forgotten, we kind of need it to get out of here, so I'm sorry but this was the best plan. There was no way for us to have known they booby-trapped the warehouse," Mac said, his voice softening just a little. He felt somewhat guilty for not seeing the trip-wire until it was too late. For crying out loud if it had been a bomb instead of an alarm they'd all be dead. He suppressed a shudder.

"Look I'm sorry," he said quietly, not even sure if the older man had heard him, "Both of you are in danger because of me." Riley glanced away from her frantic typing long enough to roll her eyes and smile her forgiveness. Jack just cracked a small grin and winked at Mac.

"Eh, it ain't your fault and we've been in tougher places than this before man, we'll make it out just fine," he said, checking his gun again. The smile disappeared, replaced with a grimly serious look. "But man I only got two rounds left so rig up your doohickey and let's go," he said, gesturing to the mass of twisted wires connected to the old radio in Mac's hands. Mac frowned in contemplation.

"See that's the thing…" he began tentatively. Jack's frown deepened.

"Now's the part where you're gonna tell me I'm not gonna like it, right?" Jack asked, resignation and apprehension in his voice. Mac shot him a smile that was closer to a grimace.

"I'm going to have to get this wired directly into the control room's mainframe. That way, I can disable their outside control and disarm the warhead without them setting off the bomb," Mac said with reluctant look. Jack met his eyes and seemed to grasp what that entailed.

"So you're sayin' we're gonna have to fight our way through at least fifteen armed goons with only two bullets and our good looks?" Jack asked skeptically. Mac closed his eyes for a moment and wrinkled his nose. Opening them he saw the look on Jack's face and knew what he was about to say.

"No, aw hell no man. Not gonna happen," Jack said, setting his jaw. Mac shot him a helpless shrug and widened his eyes.

"Jack come on, I know you want to protect me and all, but there are way more lives at stake here. Besides, I'm safer if you cover me to the control room, then I'll just barricade the door and from there…" before Mac could finish, Jack interrupted.

"Yeah yeah yeah, 'Improvise,' I know," Jack grouched. Mac raised an eyebrow and stared him down. Jack glared back for a bit before sighing deeply.

"I want it on record that I don't like this," he said exasperatedly. Mac shrugged his agreement and squeezed Jack's shoulder.

"I'll be fine Jack," he said with a reassuring grin. Then he turned to Riley. "Riley, do you have the specs for the building?" he asked, knowing she would. Pausing in her typing she flipped her laptop around.

"Yeah, here's the blueprints. I'm working on a code to patch us into the bad guys' coms over the wireless, but it's going to take a few more minutes," she said, resuming her typing after Mac snapped a photo of the blueprints on his phone. Mac nodded determinedly and stood, still crouched behind the crate.

"Cover me Jack," he said determinedly. As soon as Jack had his gun up, Mac set off across the room toward the door to the control room with Jack timing his last two bullets well enough to get him across without getting shot, having the vague notion that the bad guys must have been trained by the Imperial Stormtroopers.

Mac had just made it to the door and had it halfway open when Jack saw him flinch and heard him let out a yelp of pain. Panic welled in his chest and he craned to see him.

Jack sighed in both relief and worry when he saw blood trickling down Mac's left arm from a bullet graze. Mac got inside the door and closed it, Jack feeling the slightest amount of relief knowing he was barricading the door against them. Glancing at Riley, he held up his empty weapon for emphasis.

"I'm all out kid, so I hope you've got a plan," he said tensely. Riley ignored him, still typing frantically. After a moment she hit a key and stopped, reaching for headphones.

"I got it! We're patched in to their coms now Jack," she said joyfully. She put one earbud in and immediately frowned.

"Jack? These guys are supposed to be Russian right?" she asked, confusion tingeing her words. It was Jack's turn to frown.

"Yeah, that's what Matty's intel said," Jack said slowly, really not liking where this was going.

"Then why are the all speaking with American accents?" she whispered. Jack blinked a few times at this new development. Suddenly Riley's eyes went wide and her face paled.

"Never mind, I know why," she whispered, her eyes full of horror. Wordlessly she held out the other earbud and Jack put it in. As soon as he heard the voice on the coms, Jack swore and moved to go before Riley grabbed his arm.

"What are you going to do Jack?" she asked desperately. "You're out of ammunition." Jack gave her a hard stare then cracked a small, wolf-like grin.

"Then I'll just have to improvise won't I?" he said determinedly. With that he took off toward the shooters, jumping from cover to cover behind crates and old machinery. It occurred to him that he didn't even know what kind of warehouse this was, but at the moment he was busy not dying.

He'd just gotten close enough to start swinging when the door to the control room opened. Jack heart plummeted to his stomach. MacGyver walked out slowly, holding his hands up in the universal sign of surrender and staring at the ground chagrined. Jack felt his anger flare and fought to control himself when he saw the person holding a 12-gage shotgun on him. Gritting his teeth, he spoke.

"Hey Nikki," he growled, staring at the woman who'd screwed them over not once, but twice now. She smiled sweetly.

"Hey Jack, long time no see," she said with a smirk.

"Not long enough," Jack growled, trying desperately to think of a way out of their situation. He knew Mac was doing so too. Glancing at him, Jack frowned. He could practically see the kid kicking himself for not realizing the truth about Nikki. They were definitely going to have to have a long talk about this later. Shifting his attention back to Nikki, Jack scowled.

"So what's your game plan here? Old team reunion? Cause that ship has sailed chica," Jack snarked, taking a careful step closer. Nikki pressed the gun to the base of Mac's skull.

"One more step Jack and I'll blow that gigantic brain of his right out of his head," Nikki said coldly. Jack froze and slowly lifted his hands, not willing to risk Mac's life. He knew what that gun could do to a human head.

"Alright what do you want?" he asked just as icily. Nikki smirked again.

"I want you to make a decision Jack," she said, clearly anticipating this moment, "See, you do realize was a hacker right? So if someone say…patches into my coms, don't you think I'd be able to find where that person was?" Jack felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He turned and saw three of the goons drag in a furiously struggling Riley. She looked from Mac to Jack and hung her head.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't notice her tracking me until it was too late," she said shamefacedly. Jack shook his head.

"Don't beat yourself up Ri, she had all of us fooled," Jack said in disgust. Mac didn't respond, but offered what he hoped was an encouraging smile. Nikki nodded to the guys holding Riley and they dragged her over beside Mac. Jack faced them and felt a sick feeling begin to creep into his stomach. Surely she couldn't…

"Choose," Nikki said simply, waving the gun between Mac and Riley. Jack's mouth fell open.

"Say what now?" he asked incredulously. Nikki glared at him and gestured between the two with the gun again.

"Choose one," she said again, "One dies, the other goes free with you. Who's it going to be Jack? Mac, your brother in arms and the man you've vowed to protect, or Riley, the girl you love like your own daughter and would also give your life to protect?" Nikki finished, raising an eyebrow pointedly. Jack stood in silence for a moment then opened his mouth. Before he could speak however she interrupted him.

"And before you gallantly offer your life for theirs, I'm going to tell you if you ask or even beg me to take you instead, I will shoot them both right now. You have to choose; Mac or Riley," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument. Jack opened and closed his mouth. He met Mac's eyes then Riley's. He knew each wanted him to choose the other to live. In Mac's eyes he saw grim determination and valor. In Riley's he saw bravery masking deep fear. Glancing at Mac again, Jack saw him give an imperceptible nod toward his hand. Jack forced himself not to sigh in relief; Mac had a plan. Facing Nikki and setting his jaw, Jack closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed hard.

"Made your decision?" Nikki asked, her voice indifferent. Jack nodded stiffly.

"Mac," he whispered, his throat tight. Riley's eyes flew open wide and she shook her head.

"Jack no!" she cried, but he silenced her with a look. Nikki raised a brow.

"Mac lives or Mac dies?" she asked, clearly knowing the answer but wanting to hear Jack say it. Jack grit his teeth so hard he was certain they'd snap off.

"Mac…dies," he choked out, wanting more than anything to shoot Nikki and her goons and go home. Nikki raised her eyebrows; Mac simply nodded determinedly as Riley immediately began to protest. Mac lifted a hand to silence her.

"It's okay Riley," he said calmly, "You guys will be okay. Please take care of Bozer…and Jack," he began, meeting Jack's eyes, "Whatever happens, it is not your fault, okay?" he saw a flicker of fear cross Jack's face and he nodded complacently. With that, Mac slowly turned around to face Nikki.

"So we meet again," he said sarcastically. She simply smiled and gestured to the room next to the one they'd been in. This one had a large window between the room and the open part of the warehouse they were in now. Wordlessly, Mac went in, being prodded with Nikki's gun.

As Nikki's cronies dragged him and Riley across the room, Jack watched the ordeal with growing apprehension. What happened next would haunt Jack forever. Time seemed to slow down into a series of moments. Mac twisted around to try and grab on of the goon's guns…Nikki saw him…raised the gun…whacked him in the back of the head…he fell to the ground behind the window…Nikki aimed the gun…she fired.

Jack's world stopped. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. He was vaguely aware of someone screaming and somewhere in the recesses of his brain he felt Riley's grip on his arm as she began to sob. He stared in utter shock, unable to process what had just happened. She'd shot him…she'd shot Mac…no…maybe it wasn't' a kill shot…maybe it was a bluff…they couldn't see Mac so maybe…

Jack stepped determinedly forward, his legs only carrying him on pure instinct. For some reason no one stopped him as he made his way toward the room. He didn't want to look. He wanted to cling to hope. Reaching the door, he clenched his teeth and stepped inside.

Jack immediately felt his heart stop. He wanted to scream, to vomit, and to kill someone all at once. There lay Mac on the floor, face down, his head mangled by the gunshot, blood dripping from golden hair. Jack felt his knees go weak and he sagged to the floor. Closer now he could see the scene in gruesome detail; the khakis they'd so mercilessly teased him about, one of his nice button-down shirts; this one light blue, his hands…the long slim fingers always creating the impossible…stilled forever. Looking closer, Jack felt whatever was left of his heart shred inside his chest. Clutched in his death-grip was a tiny piece of silver: a paperclip.

Jack closed his eyes, unable to think, to process what had just happened. He heard a female voice, but couldn't process the words it was saying.

Jumping to his feet, Jack flew at Nikki and wrapped a hand around her throat, glaring viciously and fully intending to kill her. What he didn't see however, was one of the other bad guys sneaking up behind him, courtesy of Nikki. Suddenly, pain exploded in the back of his head and he sank into merciful darkness.

When Jack awoke, it was from a horrific nightmare about Mac. Opening his eyes and looking around, Jack frowned. They were on some kind of rescue plane. Sitting up, his eyes found Riley, who was sitting pale and wide-eyed wrapped in a blanket. When she saw him staring at her she got up and moved stiffly over to him, like a deer learning to walk. As she knelt beside him, Jack didn't miss the way her knees seemed to give out. His muddled brain tried to recreate the moments before being knocked out, but he could only seem to remember his nightmare.

"Ri? What's going on?" he asked, because he knew…he just knew that his nightmare couldn't possibly be true. Riley's eyes widened.

"They…they just loaded us up onto this plane. I don't know where we're going, but Jack…they blew up the warehouse," Riley said in a small voice, as though she was afraid if she talked too loud she'd shatter him. Jack blinked. Warehouse…but that meant…his nightmare…

"No," he whispered, tears springing to his eyes, "No…he can't…he's not…" Jack could no longer form words. He saw tears begin to fall from Riley's eyes too, and enveloped her in a crushing bear hug, feeling her body shaking with sobs…or maybe that was his, he didn't know and he didn't care. Mac was dead. His brother, the man he'd vowed to protect with his life, was dead because of him. Nikki's face swam into Jack's mind and he felt a white-hot rage envelop him. He was going to find her and he'd make sure his face was the last thing she ever saw.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Jack was prepared to fight whomever would come through the door. What he wasn't prepared for however, was being met with his own men, in full tack gear and holding guns on them. He realized with a start that they were at the Phoenix Foundation's private landing pad on top of the building.

After they got past all the confusion, Jack and Riley were immediately taken to Matty's office, while the pilot, who insisted he was just hired to take them to these coordinates no-questions-asked, was taken in for questioning.

As they walked toward Matty's office, Riley took Jack's hand and did her best to hide her tears. Jack did the same, nearly biting his lip bleeding.

Walking into the office, Jack saw Matty and one of the techs turn around. They'd had to go in dark, so Matty had no idea what had transpired. As she faced them now and immediately noticed who was absent, he saw the horrified disbelief flash in her eyes before she composed herself.

"Where's Baby Einstein?" she asked, clearly hoping they'd say he'd be there shortly. Jack swallowed hard and looked at the ground. He was having a very hard time trying to find words. He felt Riley squeeze his arm and met Matty's gaze.

"He's not comin' Matty," he said in barely more than a whisper. Matty's jaw clenched.

"What are you saying Jack?" she asked with a softness he didn't know she could posses. He swallowed again.

"I'm saying…he's gone…" Jack managed to choke out. "Nikki Carpenter shot him, then they blew up the warehouse. We couldn't recover the…" Jack couldn't bring himself to say 'body."

Matty leaned heavily on a nearby table, putting her face in her hands. At that moment, Bozer walked in.

"Hey guys! You're back! Man, we were getting really worried when we couldn't get ahold of you…hey where's Mac?" he asked, quickly realizing who was missing. Then Bozer seemed to take in all the red eyes and sadness in the room. His face fell to an expression of disbelief.

"No…no no no no," he said, slowly backing out. Jack stepped toward him but he flinched away, "NO!" he shouted, and with that he fled the room, knocking over a chair as he went. Jack decided to let him process on his own. He really couldn't handle any more emotion right now. Matty was already on the phone sending teams to the island and contacting the necessary people.

Jack sat down on the couch, pulling Riley down to sit beside him. Tomorrow he was going to start hunting Nikki down if it took everything he had, but right now he just needed time to mourn with his family.

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He opened bleary eyes, taking in his surroundings through slightly blurred vision. Looking down at his hands, he found them handcuffed to the arms of a metal chair. That felt familiar. Looking closer at his surroundings, he saw that all the buttons had been removed from his shirt, the chair had been sanded smooth, and they'd taken his shoes.

He jumped when he heard a noise at the top of the stairs. Footsteps clanked slowly down the metal staircase until he saw the person making them standing in front of him. She grabbed his chin and forced him to look her in the eye.

"I'm only going to tell you this once," she began, her nails digging into his cheek, "You will do exactly as I say. No one is coming for you," she said standing and turning to go. At the top of the stairs she stopped, "See, to them you're dead MacGyver."

 **That's all for now but not to worry, Mac will be back! Please feel free to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thank you so so much to all of you who have read, reviewed, liked and followed! I am so touched by all of the wonderful feedback I've received!**

 **raine2460- Thank you and glad to continue!**

 **IplayedInTraffic-Thank you! Glad I captured your attention!**

 **Dlwells51- Thanks and worry not, vengeance will be sweet!**

 **remiparker- Darn, I must be predictable haha. I hope you still enjoy how the story plays out.**

 **QuestRunner- *blushes* Wow, thank you so much! I tried really hard to capture Jack's essence. Hope you enjoy!**

 **poxelda- Thank you so much! It's so nice to hear such great feedback from a veteran of this genre haha! Enjoy!**

 **anyctophilian- Thanks so much! I hope this wasn't too long.**

 **WynonaRose- Thank you! Will do!**

 **Disclaimer: Now and always, I do not own MacGyver and company…*sigh***

Jack's life continued in a haze. He'd barely registered the funeral, simple but full of people whose lives MacGyver had touched. Jack vaguely remembered Riley and Bozer crying, being shocked to see even Matty shed a tear, the cold brass of the handle in his hand, the too-light feeling of an empty coffin, feeling Riley's hand in his...

Jack had been asked to make the arrangements since Mac had no family to speak of. As far as Jack was concerned, Mac's dad had better be dead because if he wasn't…he would be when Jack got ahold of him. Not even showing up for his son's funeral? Jack growled and punched the punching bag again. That had been over one month ago, but it still hurt like it was yesterday. He'd thrown himself into his work, hunting Nikki like a shark, following her trail of blood. He'd tracked her all over the globe, but now he'd hit a dead end… Jack cringed at his poor word choice.

He'd managed to tail her all the way to Italy, and then her trail went cold. Jack spent most of his nights at the computer, making calls, and drinking himself into oblivion. He had to find her, to make her pay. He lashed out against the punching bag, feeling the twinges in his wrist and up his arm that told him he was overdoing it. He couldn't bring himself to care.

About an hour later he sensed another presence and looked up. He saw Riley standing at the top of the stairs, watching him with concern. He realized that he must look awful; drenched in sweat and breathing like an asthmatic walrus. Grabbing a towel, he tried to make himself slightly more presentable. He slowly made his way up the stairs, trying to hide his slight wobble. Finally making it to standing in front of her, he looked at Riley expectantly. He saw her expression shift to something between guilt and hesitancy. Jack frowned.

"What's goin' on?" he asked gruffly, not bothering with niceties. Riley stared at the floor for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"She sent you a message," she said softly, subconsciously taking a step back when Jack balled his fists. Without a word he set off toward the control room, Riley doing her best to keep up.

They walked in, causing both Matty and Bozer to jump at Jack's haggard appearance. Wisely choosing to ignore it, Matty gestured for Riley to put something on the screen. With a few keystrokes, an image of Nikki's face appeared. No one missed the guttural growl that escaped Jack's mouth. Riley wordlessly pushed a button and the video began to play.

"Hello Jack. I'm sure by now you're a wreck. It took me a while to lose you, so kudos, but I'm afraid I just couldn't have you catching me, not yet anyway. See I needed a little time to finish my planning before we could meet again," screen-Nikki paused for a triumphant smirk, "I'm ready now though, Jack. I know you can't resist the chance to make be pay for Mac's brutal death. The funeral was nice, but I never have seen the point in burying an empty coffin."

Jack's eyes flew open and his jaw clenched. Everyone in the room subconsciously took a few steps back from him. Every muscle in Jack's body trembled with rage. He had to concentrate to hear her finish.

"…that's right, I was there Jack. You could have gotten me then and there, but you were too clouded by your grief, or maybe it was the alcohol by then who knows? The point is, I'm ready now. Come face me Jack, you know where. The place it all started. I'll be waiting. Oh and Jack? Make sure you come alone, this is just between us," she smiled like a piranha and the screen went dark. Everyone in the room shifted to look at Jack, who stood still as a statue. After a moment, his face split into a tight-lipped smile. Without a word he turned and left the room. Exchanging glances, Matty was silently elected to go after him.

As Matty walked up to Jack, she saw him putting on full tack gear, and loading up several weapons. Taking a deep breath she spoke softly.

"Jack?" she asked, stepping out of range as he whirled around suddenly. She could already see the rock-solid determination on his face. She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere.

"Matty," he said, a warning note in his voice. With a sigh she shook her head. Reaching out, she put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Get her, Jack, but make sure you come home. We can't lose you too," she said matter-of-factly, which Jack recognized as her cover for feeling emotion. He nodded determinedly.

"I'm gonna avenge our boy," he said, his resolve unquestionable. Matty nodded and Jack set off.

LAKE COMO

Jack made his way to the center of the bridge, not caring that the few people there scampered away in fear at his full military-grade tack-gear. His eyes were on the one figure who stood unflinchingly, smiling contentedly as he moved toward her. Jack had been raised not to hit women, (it wasn't sexist in his book, just manners and chivalry) but right then he wanted more than anything to knock that smile off her face. He planned to do just that and more.

Jack came to a stop about five feet in front of the she-devil and fixed her with his patented Jack Dalton glare. She actually had the gall to laugh.

"Ah Jack, still the same old charm I see?" she said sarcastically. Jack's eyes narrowed.

"You keep right on talkin' there Nurse Ratched, and I'll show you just how charming I can be," he growled, pulling out one of his guns. Nikki laughed, sounding like someone coughing up broken glass.

"Yup, same as always, talking a big game but not willing to do what it takes in the end. Tell me Jack, was it easier to choose Mac to die because it was the 'noble' thing to do, or did you honestly think he had a plan to get away? I mean, really Jack you didn't stop to think that he'd let you believe anything to save Riley's life? You know how little self-regard he had. That's why they sent you to be his bodyguard in the first place, for all the good it did," she sneered.

That was the final straw. Jack snapped, moving faster than even he knew he could he lashed out and grabbed Nikki by the hair, twisting her around and shoving her face into the concrete. Grabbing a zip-tie he quickly secured her hands together, taking no care to be gentle, and flipped her over, immediately wary of how easy that had been. She smiled up at him like the cat that caught the canary.

"Wow, you've gotten better Jack," she said sarcastically, "Is that how you've been dealing with his death? Throwing yourself into your work because you know you've failed?" Jack's grip tightened on her throat and he put his gun to her temple.

"Go ahead and try to convince me not to pull this trigger, not to splatter your brains all over the ground like you did Mac's," Jack voice was raw, but his hands were steady. He wanted to look into her eyes as she died and know that he got justice for Mac. Nikki's eyes flickered for just a moment before she reclaimed her smug expression.

"You're not going to shoot me Jack, because that's not who you are. Mac wouldn't even touch a gun, do you really think he'd want you to shoot me?" Jack's finger tightened slightly on the trigger. He bared his teeth, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke.

"Ya know what? I don't give a hoot what Mac would've wanted. I'm gonna give him what he deserves, and that's vengeance for his death," Jack spat, digging the barrel of the gun harder into her temple. Nikki let out a small grunt of pain. She met Jack's eyes.

"Then do it Jack. Shoot me," she challenged, raising her chin defiantly. Jack was about to squeeze the trigger when she spoke again. "But then you won't be able to stop it." Jack squeezed even tighter on her neck, causing her to gasp for breath.

"I ain't in the mood for your sick little games, so why don't you just shut up and die," Jack snarled, repositioning the gun again. Nikki did her best to shrug her shoulders.

"Fine," she gasped out, "They say...the phoenix will…rise from …ashes…let's see," she managed to choke out past Jack's fingers on her throat. Jack wanted more than anything to pull the trigger, but he knew he had to find out what she was talking about. Reluctantly he loosened his hold on her neck slightly.

"What the hell are you talkin' about? And make it snappy cause my trigger finger's awful itchy," he snapped, keeping the gun in place. Nikki coughed and smiled icily at him.

"Why did you think I wanted you alone Jack? And where did you think all my loyal recruits were?" The truth hit Jack like a kick to the groin. He'd gone in assuming it was a trap for him. He was wrong...it was a trap for everyone else.

"Oh yeah? How are they supposed to get in then? Cause in case you thought we were a bunch of morons, oversight erased all your access codes a long time ago," he said with a lot more bravado than he felt. He needed to get her talking. She smiled again like she held the secret to life itself.

"Oh I know they erased mine Jack," she said simply, "But I have someone else who was more than willing to loan us theirs." Jack's heart plummeted. She had someone else on the inside. But who? Surely not anyone on their team. He refocused on what she was saying.

"So what'll it be Jack? Shoot me and watch Phoenix burn? Do you really want more blood on your hands?" Jack's eyes snapped up at that. Nikki smirked, knowing she'd hit a nerve. "Is that what you want Jack? For your brash decision to get all of Phoenix killed. I mean, you're already responsible for the death of their best weapon." Jack's hand instinctively tightened on her neck again before slowly releasing her, keeping the gun trained unflinchingly. She faced him and gave him a patronizing look.

"See Jack, I knew you wouldn't do it," she said calmly, her face smug. Jack grit his teeth in rage.

"You got exactly one minute to tell me what the hell your plan is, or I'm gonna pave the ground with your brains," Jack said coldly. Nikki blinked and let out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh Jack, if I did that, what would be my bargaining chip? You need me alive to stop this. Do you really think I'm going to give up that information so easily?" she simpered, clearly enjoying her presumed victory. Keeping his gun trained and his eyes on her, Jack raised his phone to his ear, having pushed the button to speed-dial Matty.

"Hey Matty," Jack said, his voice lacking its usual joviality, "How's things there?" he asked. After a moment, he grunted and hung up without responding.

"Funny thing," he said, stepping closer to Nikki, who for her part had the good sense to look slightly scared, "Matty says there ain't nothing wrong on the home-front so it sounds to me like you're a bluffin' coward," Jack said, his voice completely devoid of emotion. He stepped closer, like a lion closing in on its prey.

In one motion, Jack grabbed Nikki and flipped her around, whacking her hard on the back of the head. Making sure she was still awake, he knelt on the ground beside her and flipped her over, his face inches from hers.

"This is for Mac," he whispered savagely, and with that he leaned back, placed his gun against her forehead, and fired.

Jack sat silently in the pilot's seat of the plane he'd sweet-talked Matty into letting him take. Turning around, he stared for a moment at the black body bag lying haphazardly on the floor. He'd snuck the bag out, knowing for certain that he'd need it.

He frowned. He'd expected to feel relieved. Sure, he felt that justice had been served and that Nikki had gotten what she deserved for what she'd done to Mac, but he still didn't feel satisfied. He sighed dejectedly. Mac was still gone. He felt tears well in his eyes but fought them down. He had done all he could to bring justice to his friend, his brother.

A new thought struck him…what was he supposed to do now? He'd completed his mission, the one that had consumed him for over a month, so now what? He was startled from his thoughts by his cell phone ringing. He answered without looking at the caller ID, assuming it must be Matty.

"Jack?" Matty asked, her voice sounding distracted and hurried. He frowned.

"Yeah, what's up?" he asked, a sick feeling creeping into his gut. Matty paused in their conversation to rattle off some orders to someone, then spoke to Jack again.

"Get back here now," she snapped, in full-on boss mode, "Phoneix is under attack."

 **Uh oh! Was Nikki telling the truth? Who is the traitor? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **Thanks again and please feel free to review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good evening/morning/whenever you're reading this. Once again, a huge thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! I am so grateful for all the wonderful support!**

 **remiparker- Ask and you shall receive! Thank you!**

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 **Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own MacGyver and friends (or even foes for that matter).**

Mac blinked and leaned heavily on the wall. The hallway before him blurred and shifted, his vision dipping and swirling like a living Pollock painting. Determinedly he placed one foot in front of the other, keeping one steadying hand on the wall. He knew if he was discovered the consequences would be dire. He couldn't risk everyone's safety. He just had to…

What was he there to do? Right, plug the flash drive into the mainframe. That was what she wanted. Nikki had given her word that she'd let everyone go if he did. As for him… he wasn't sure what her plans were for him but he could guess that they weren't good.

With a start, Mac realized at some point he'd ended up on his knees leaning against the wall. No, no he only had…Mac tried to do some mental calculations… six hours? Seven? He put a hand to his head, trying to think. He could feel the rough dryness of his skin and the protrusion of his bones as the heavy vest ground against them. He'd hardly been fed anything in the…however long he'd been gone. He'd lost count of the days, or was it months?

With a moan he realized he'd fallen to his knees again and struggled to stand. He couldn't quit now. He knew they'd be sending tack teams for him. If he could get inside the server room then he could barricade the door…

Leaning over, Mac emptied what little was on his stomach onto the floor. He'd been forced to drink water from a leaky pipe with who knew what kind of germs… He felt his stomach roll and cramp and his brain helpfully supplied all the nightmarish diseases that could be cruising around his already compromised body. Finally reaching the door, Mac opened it and stepped inside, wedging it shut behind him. Good, he thought, he'd timed it right so the techs were on break. Now he just had to plug in the flash drive and wait for it to download and erase the files Nikki wanted.

With a sigh, Mac finished barricading and booby-trapping the door to the best of his ability and sat down at the desk. Plugging in the flash drive, he leaned forward and let his head rest on his arms, exhaustion and starvation pulling him into darkness…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack had only been about two hours out from Phoenix when he received Matty's call, so by the time he got back there were teams assembled and trying to assess the source of the attack. Matty had gone on to give him some of the details, saying the attacker was trying to wipe a massive amount of suspect data records. She said the person was clearly an expert hacker and that the techs were still trying to pinpoint the location of the hack and if it was indeed in the building. After Jack rattled off what Nikki had said, Matty had barked some orders and hung up, ordering Jack to come in dark.

What he wasn't prepared for when he walked in was Matty's livid face coming at him surprisingly quickly. He took a step away.

"Whoa Matty! What's goin' on?" he asked, genuinely confused this time about what he'd done. She huffed and let loose.

"Dalton, I told you to see to it that MacGyver's codes were erased from the system," she snapped. Jack blinked, a sick feeling crawling into his gut.

"Look I'm sorry I just…" Jack found he didn't have a good answer. Matty's face seemed to soften one iota, but she was still clearly furious.

"Jack, I know it's been hard for you okay, but now since they weren't cleared, someone used them to gain entrance to Phoenix and is currently holed up in the server room corrupting thousands of suspect files in our system," Matty explained in a clipped, rapid-fire tone. Jack blinked.

"That's impossible Matty. He… They wouldn'ta had time to get them from him before…" Jack still couldn't bring himself to say 'died'. Matty set her jaw."Well I'm sorry Jack, but they got them somehow," she said, already moving past him to give more orders. Jack shook his head. It didn't make any sense… A sharp order snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Get down there Dalton!" Matty snapped, setting off with a group of techs. Jack jumped and moved on instinct, his thoughts still jumbled.

By the time he reached the door, Jack had more questions than answers, but he set aside his thoughts to focus on the mission. A four-member tack team was already there and he began giving signals, stepping into the role of leader as naturally as breathing. When he finished giving silent commands, he leaned forward and grabbed the doorknob, ready to try to shove the door open.

What he wasn't prepared for however, was the way he involuntarily tightened his hand around the knob or the fiery sizzle that shot through his veins. Electrified, Jack had the vague thought. With some effort he yanked his hand back, ignoring his slight tremble. Focusing on the door itself, he gestured for one of the other agents to kick it in as they all brought up their weapons. As soon as the man's foot hit the door, it went right through a leg-sized hole that had been cut out. His momentum carried him forward and they all heard a sickening snap and the choked cry of the man who'd just broken his leg. Pulling him back, Jack sent one of the men to take the wounded soldier away, leaving himself and two tack team members.

Finally fed up with the situation, Jack took the butt of his gun and swung it as hard as he could at the knob. He felt another shot of electricity zap through him but was rewarded as the knob fell to the floor and the wires attached to the other side came loose. The three men then rammed the door as hard as they could and crashed into the server room, all eyes immediately on the figure at the console. Jack snarled as the person slowly stood up. They were wearing a bulky black hoodie with the hood up. The person, slowly raised their hands in the air and Jack noticed the stark boniness of their fingers. He frowned. The bulk of the hoodie did not match the thin-looking hands. He realized the implications with a start.

"Don't shoot," he ordered sternly, "We have possible explosives." The figure still seemed to waver but didn't turn around. Glancing over, Jack saw a silver jump drive sticking out of the console and figured that must be the source of the problem.

"Alright listen here dude, you're gonna move real nice and slow and take out that jump drive, then we're gonna have a nice long chat," the person's shoulders slumped.

"I can't," came the low, raspy response. Jack froze. That voice… He felt his heart begin to pound.

"Whaddaya mean you can't?" Jack asked, not liking how shaky his voice had become. The man slowly turned around and the only thing that kept Jack from dropping his gun was years of training. He was pretty sure his heart stopped beating. The world around him shifted and he could only stare at the pale, emaciated man before him. Blue eyes met Jack's, full of remorse.

"If I do, this building and everyone in it are going to blow up," he whispered.

 **What is team Phoenix going to do? Stay tuned!**

 **Please Note: I have taken several liberties with the plot here, as I'm sure they would likely have been much more thorough about Mac's codes and whatnot. If you would kindly suspend your belief for that it would be much appreciated. Also, I have no idea about the time table involved so again, I did my best and please don't judge too harshly.**

 **As always, please feel free to review! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! I will begin by apologizing that it took longer for me to update this time. Life got crazy. Anyhoo thank you so very much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favorited! I have been completely blown away with the responses to this story (oh…poor word choice considering where I left them…).**

 **Oiaso- Here you go! Thank you so much and I'm so glad you're enjoying it!**

 **remiparker- You bet! Stay tuned and thank you!**

 **raine2460- Thank you and your wait is over! Let me know what you think.**

 **Frosty Mac- Thank you and enjoy!**

 **anyctophilian- Thank you haha! And yes I agree about Mac…**

 **Effie17- Thank you! I hope you will be pleased with this chapter.**

 **Guest: Thank you! I hope you enjoy how it plays out!**

 **Disclaimer: Yeah uh nope. Still don't own 'em.**

Mac stood slowly as he heard a team entering the room. He could only hope they wouldn't shoot on sight. As he got to his feet the world spun again and he had to lean on the console for a moment before very slowly raising his hands in the air.

"Don't shoot we have possible explosives," Mac heard the sharp order behind him and his heart skipped a beat. He wavered but managed to stay on his feet. Jack. Jack was here. He was okay…but did that mean…? Mac's thoughts trailed off as he realized Jack was speaking again.

"…and take out that jump drive, then we're gonna have a nice long chat," Mac heard and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He swallowed hard and spoke as loudly as he could.

"I can't," he rasped, feeling his body begin to tremble. He knew Jack would likely recognize his voice. Would he feel betrayed? Hurt? Angry? Mac heard him speak again.

"Whaddaya mean you can't?" Jack asked, Mac clearly hearing the waver in his voice. Mac sighed and very slowly began to turn around. As soon as his eyes met Jack's he saw all the color drain from the man's face as his eyes went wide. Mac felt gut-wrenching guilt crash down on him.

"If I do, this building and everyone in it are going to blow up," he whispered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack could only stare in utter shock at the man before him. He was gaunt and pallid but it was most definitely MacGyver. He couldn't think, wasn't certain if he was still breathing. His heart had gone from motionless to pounding like a herd of elephants stampeding through his chest. Jack slowly let his gun drop to his side, only slightly aware of doing so, and stepped forward. His friend…his brother…the man he'd sent to his death…he was here in front of him. The bloody mangled head he'd seen in his every waking nightmare for the past month was intact and right here. Those blue eyes, full of life and intelligence, were staring fearfully into his.

Jack came to a stop in front of Mac and slowly lifted a hand. He was almost afraid to touch him, for fear he'd vanish and it'd all be a dream. Placing his hand gently on the young man's shoulder, Jack felt the trembles running through Mac's body. Giving up on any hope of keeping up a tough front, Jack pulled Mac in for a fierce but gentle hug, as if he was afraid he'd shatter. Jack felt Mac sag into his grasp and leaned back, ignoring the tears pouring down his cheeks. Keeping one arm firmly on Mac's he grabbed a chair and helped him into it.

Looking at Mac's eyes again, Jack could see that there was a glassy, unfocussed tinge to them. Scanning for other obvious signs of injury, Jack was sickened by how thin Mac looked. With a start he remembered the bulk beneath the hoodie. Jack felt his throat tighten.

"Mac?" he whispered, bending down to meet his eyes. Mac blinked and looked up at him, unshed tears glistening in his eyes as well. Jack scrubbed a hand across his face and shook himself back into soldier mode. He'd have a meltdown later for sure, but right now they had more important issues.

"Mac, what have you got under the hoodie?" he asked slowly, not wanting to know the answer, but knowing he needed to. Mac took a deep breath and reached to take it off, his arms shaking with the effort. Jack reached to help him and as soon as they got it off of him Jack sucked in a breath. It was a bomb vest with enough explosives to take out the entire Phoenix building. Mac stared at the ground.

"It's rigged to the jump drive and a GPS device. If I try to leave the perimeter of Phoenix, it will go off. It's also on a timer," Mac said sullenly, a measure of something else in his voice. Jack looked closer. He saw the timer, which read just over twenty minutes, put together with parts from an old cellphone. Jack's eyes went wide.

"Mac…did you build this?" he asked in a whisper. Mac's face scrunched in guilt and he turned his face away from Jack, nodding slightly after a moment. Jack shook his head, running a hand through his hair. They could figure out that later, but right now that was a good thing.

"So then you know how to disarm it right?" Jack asked hopefully. Mac looked up at him with tearful doe eyes.

"Maybe I could, but all the mechanisms are in the back. Nikki made me design it that way on purpose. If I try to remove it or adjust it, it goes off," he said, remorse oozing from his voice, "She has the only code to shut it down. I'm sorry Jack," he whispered. Jack swallowed hard.

"Well then we're gonna have to figure something else out bro, cause the wicked witch is dead," Jack said, not regretting his decision to kill her so much as hating her even beyond the grave. Mac's eyes went wide and he dropped his face to his hands, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Jack ran a hand through his hair again. He hated the defeated look on the kid. It was so unlike him. Before he could think of something, Mac spoke again.

"Jack, just get everyone out of the building. There's a reinforced vault in the basement, I can minimize the damage there," Mac said softly, his strength clearly waning. Jack blinked. Surely he wasn't saying…

"Well I agree with one part of your plan," Jack said, sounding much more confident than he felt. Having realized that Mac was somehow blocking the coms in the room, Jack turned to the two men behind him who seemed to be at a loss for what to do.

"Evacuate the building and take out any unfriendlies," Jack ordered. "And send bomb disposal down here yesterday."

The men jumped and ran, grateful for something to do. Mac stared at Jack expectantly through half-lidded eyes.

"What?" Jack asked, walking back over to the kid to examine the bomb vest. He took in the jumbles of wires and gizmos and frowned. Mac let out a sigh.

"I guess it's pointless to ask you to go too?" he asked softly, beginning to list to the side a little. Jack grabbed him to keep him from falling over and forced Mac to meet his eyes.

"Now you listen here. I just went more than a month thinkin'…" Jack swallowed hard, blinking away the moisture in his eyes, "Thinkin' you were gone. I ain't about to let ya outta my sight anytime soon. I told you time and time again; you don't get to do stupid stuff without me," Jack finished with a warm smile. Mac's eyes had widened to the size of saucers.

"I was gone for a month?" he gasped in disbelief. Jack nodded somberly. No wonder he felt so awful. He only remembered Nikki giving him food a handful of times, and when she did it wasn't much. And Jack…he'd thought…for more than a month? Mac felt tears of his own well in his eyes and swallowed hard and focused on what Jack was saying.

"…only thirteen minutes left on the clock," he was saying and Mac's heart jumped. Seventeen minutes? His math must've been way off.

"There's no way bomb disposal can get down here fast enough," Mac whispered, turning wide, desperate eyes to Jack. It was the first time in a long time Jack could remember seeing fear there. Even when facing down a gun, he'd stood stoic and determined. Staring at the young man before him now, Jack realized that had been a carefully crafted mask, meant to comfort him and Riley. He vowed then and there to never put Mac in that situation again.

Jack smiled and placed a comforting hand on Mac's shoulder. Then he had an idea so crazy that he was sure Mac must've placed it in his head somehow.

"I'll do it," he blurted, his own eyes widening as they met Mac's. Mac blinked.

"Do what?" he asked, his soft voice slurring slightly. Jack knelt in front of him.

"I'll disarm it. You can talk me through it. We're gonna get this thing off you brother," Jack said determinedly, leaving no room for argument. Mac raised his eyebrows.

"You really think…" he began. Jack stopped him with a wave of his hand. Leaning closer so he could look Mac in the eyes, Jack spoke.

"I think I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure we both get outta here alive," he said seriously. He was rewarded with a slight smile and a determined nod.

Standing, Jack turned Mac around in his chair and stared at the device. He frowned.

"Where there's a will there's a way," he muttered, then tapped Mac on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Mac asked, having been tipping to the side again. Jack gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Listen buddy, I'm real sorry but you're gonna have to hold really still, okay?" When Mac nodded, Jack continued, "Now, how the hell do we get you outta this thing without going kaboom?" he asked.

Mac began to speak, giving halting instructions as he strained to make his brain recreate the device and then take it apart inside his head. Jack obeyed every order unflinchingly, knowing the seriousness of the situation was the only thing keeping his hands from shaking like maracas. Finally he got down to only two wires; one red and one blue.

"Mac? Hey buddy," he asked, squeezing Mac's shoulder again. The younger man barely flinched.

"Hn?" he slurred, glassy eyes flickering. Jack's heart pounded in his chest.

"Listen bro, I just need one more step then you'll be free of this fashion monstrosity," he joked, trying desperately to keep Mac awake. Jack glanced at the timer and his heart went into overdrive.

"Mac there's a minute and thirty-seven seconds left and I'm down to a red wire and a blue wire. Come on man stay with me, which one do I cut?" he asked, fear leaking into his voice. That seemed to bring Mac around a little as he sat up a little straighter.

"Two wires?" Mac slurred, blinking as he desperately tried to focus. He frowned for a moment then seemed to decide. "Blue," he said certainly. Jack took a deep breath and said a prayer to all that was holy.

Placing the small knife he'd been using to take apart the rest of the bomb under the blue wire, he squeezed his eyes shut and yanked the knife through it.

After a beat, Jack opened his eyes, relieved to find himself still in one piece. Glancing down he was even more relieved to find the timer stopped. He let out a relieved chuckle and clapped Mac on the shoulder.

"Ya did it! We did it! You crazy genius!" he whooped, standing up quickly to help Mac out of the heavy vest. When Jack saw what was underneath, his smile vanished. Mac's torso was caved in, all of his ribs prominent against starkly pale skin. Jack could see the tops of Mac's hipbones protruding just as sharply. He felt sick. Nikki had clearly starved him. Gently setting the vest aside, Jack decided to leave it for bomb disposal and get Mac medical attention. Bending down in front of Mac, Jack met his eyes.

"Ya did real good brother," he said, not bothering to hide the pride in his voice. Mac smiled blearily, his eyelids flickering. Jack noticed he'd gone a shade paler, which he really hadn't thought possible.

"Okay, time to get you to medical," Jack said, helping Mac as he struggled to his feet. Once he was standing Mac turned to Jack with a smile. As Jack returned the smile he saw Mac's eyes go unfocused and roll up into his head. He was just in time to catch the blond as his knees buckled and he collapsed.

Jack easily hefted the too-light young man in his arms and set off up the stairs. As soon as he crossed the doorway, he heard chatter in his coms. Shifting Mac in his arms he managed to get a finger to his ear.

"This is Dalton. Tech lab situation is contained, send bomb disposal for cleanup. Requesting medical prep for one agent," he rattled off, moving as fast as he could. He wasn't surprised to hear Matty's voice respond.

"Dalton! Why haven't you been responding?!" she shouted, then slightly kinder she added, "What happened? Is the med bay prepping for you?" Jack let out a laugh.

"Nope, Matty. This time it ain't for me," he said, looking fondly down at the unconscious man in his arms.

 **Whew! Stay tuned for more!**

 **Thanks for reading and please feel free to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello once again everyone! Thank you for taking the time to visit this story, and once again a great big thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed! Your support means so much to me!**

 **Also, I have borrowed the fabulous poxelda's evil elf nurse Sally. If you haven't read her stories, please do so! I love the boys' interactions with Sally!**

 **(Also poxelda if you should like me to return nurse Sally, I will be happy to change this chapter)**

 **anyctophilian- Indeed! We all know Jack would do anything to save Mac haha! I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you!**

 **DIwells- Because of your comment, I am adding more to this story instead of making this chapter an epilogue. Thank you for making me challenge myself haha!**

 **Effie17- Thank you so much! I'm a total sucker for Mac and Jack's bromance so I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **JustADreamer24- Thanks so much! I think (hope) you will like what's in store for this chapter then.**

 **remiparker- Thank you and I hope you'll enjoy what's in store this chapter!**

To say the folks in the med bay were shocked when they saw who Jack carried in his arms was an understatement. Nearly all the medical staff knew both him and MacGyver personally, and the news of Mac's death had taken its toll on all of them. As medical personnel rushed over to Jack, he took in their faces as they collectively realized who it was they were dealing with. Jack cracked a grin.

Suddenly, a mass of red hair appeared in his vision and Jack heard a soft gasp. Nurse Sally, the "evil elf" Mac liked to call her, turned to Jack, eyes wide with disbelief. She'd treated Jack when he returned from that mission without Mac. He hadn't said a word, but she'd seen the hollow, gut-wrenching anguish in his eyes. She'd known then that Mac wasn't coming home. Jack didn't know it but she'd sat with him while he was asleep, wiping her own silent tears as she tried to keep his nightmares at bay.

Now Sally stared at the far too thin, unconscious young man before her and couldn't help but let out a tiny relieved giggle. Of course Mac had cheated death; if anyone could it was him. Sally jumped into action, barking orders as her hands flew. The jumble of medical staff scattered, leaving a few orderlies pushing Mac's gurney into a room.

Jack prepared to follow and was stopped by a tiny, raven-haired nurse. He suppressed a growl and met her eyes with his patented Dalton glare. Though she looked like a deer caught in headlights, Jack was surprised when she didn't scamper away.

"Sir, I just need you to fill out…" Jack grabbed the clipboard from her hand and marched past her. He'd fill out all the damned paperwork later, right now he needed his boy. Somewhere in his mind, he noted that the woman had the good sense not to try and stop him.

Having seen what room they took Mac to, Jack came to a stop at the open door. There was a cluster of medical people around the bed, all snapping orders at each other. It was a mass of organized chaos. Sally caught his eye, and stepped away, still barking orders. She came over and stood in front of Jack.

"Listen Ja-" she began. He interrupted before she could continue.

"Nah you listen here now missy. I just went over a month thinkin' that kid in there was dead on account of me, so I ain't about to let him outta my sight for the next few decades," he said brashly, clearly bracing for a fight. Sally smiled sweetly.

"All I was gonna say was stay out of their way," she said, unable to hide the laugh in her voice. Jack grinned and gave her a quick hug, ignoring her startled yelp. He made his way over to the other side of the bed and watched the docs put his brother back together.

Some time later, they had gotten Mac stabilized and the room was quiet. Jack toyed with the earpiece in his hand, then tossed it aside. He'd taken it out after he'd spoken to Matty, unable to deal with the chaos in his ear when all he cared about was making sure Mac was okay. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. No matter how hard he tried, Jack couldn't take his eyes off the steady rise and fall of Mac's chest. They had him hooked up to several IVs and monitors, and in the hospital gown he looked even frailer than before.

Jack sensed a presence in the doorway and instinctively reached for his gun, relaxing when he saw it was just Sally. She smiled softly at him and he slowly got to his feet, suddenly feeling very old. As he came to stand beside her, she began to speak.

"We've got the tests back. He hasn't been drugged or poisoned, at least not on purpose. He's obviously very malnourished and it seems he's been drinking unclean water. We're giving him antibiotics and nutrients now," she said, turning to smile at Jack, "He's going to be okay Jack," she added in a whisper, a touch of incredulousness in her voice. Jack sighed deeply in relief, shaking his head slowly.

"I'll be damned if Mac didn't improvise his way outta the afterlife," Jack said with a snort. Sally laughed too and they both stood smiling for a moment. Then Sally spoke.

"It's good to have him back," she said, a tone in her voice Jack had never heard before, "It hasn't been the same without someone to pick on," she added, trying to cover her tracks. Jack smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it's real good to have him back," he said with a grin, thankful that she politely ignored the tightness of his voice. Sally stood straighter and cleared her throat.

"Well, I do have other patients to tend to so," she began as they both heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Frowning, she and Jack peeked out the door and Jack grinned. Walking toward them was a furious-looking Matty with Riley and Bozer trailing behind her. Sally smiled at Jack and took off, not wanting to stick around for Matty's wrath. With a last quick glance at MacGyver still safely sleeping in the bed, Jack stepped into the hallway.

"What. The. Hell. Dalton!" Matty snapped, coming to a stop in front of him, "Why did you take out your coms? We had a threat inside the building and you thought you'd just take off and what, chit chat?" Matty fired off, her face becoming redder by the minute. Jack raised his hands in mock surrender, but Matty wasn't finished.

"And why the hell won't anyone tell me who was just brought in here?" she asked, her voice lowering to its scary calm level. Riley tilted her head, staring at Jack.

"What are you so happy about?" she asked in confusion. She'd never seen Jack smile this much when Matty yelled at them. Bozer looked just as confused as well as slightly concerned for Jack's sanity. Jack's grin widened.

"Matty," he began, unable to hide his smile, which only served to make her more angry, "I can explain everything." She harrumphed.

"You'd better get to it then Dalton," she said, her eyes narrowing dangerously. He laughed and was about to tell her when the all clearly heard a voice from inside the room.

"Don't yell," came the raspy plea.

Jack's smile vanished and he instantly dashed back into the room, leaving Matty, Riley, and Bozer in even more confusion. Matty followed Jack first, fully intending to rip him a new one. What she saw however stopped her in her tracks.

Jack was hunched over the figure in the bed, muttering softly as he gently grasped the young man's hand. Matty couldn't believe her eyes. There in the bed lay a terribly bony and pale Angus MacGyver. Matty heard a gasp behind her and turned to see Riley with her hands clasped over her mouth. Behind her stood a wide-eyed Bozer. Jack looked up and smiled at them. Mac followed his gaze and offered a tired half-smile.

"Hey guys," he rasped, his eyes already flickering. Riley slowly stepped forward, unable to believe her eyes.

"Mac?" she whispered, not caring how small and wobbly her voice sounded. Though it seemed to take monumental effort, Mac raised a hand and took hers.

"Yeah Riles, it's me," he said with a soft smile. Riley gave up trying to hold back her tears and let out a sob, wrapping Mac in a gentle hug. After a moment, she composed herself and wiped away her tears, stepping back to allow room for Bozer. Mac smiled again when he saw tears glistening in his childhood friend's eyes.

"Bro you have no idea how awesome it is to see you," Bozer said, also enveloping Mac in a hug. Stepping back he grinned and shook his head.

"I just…I can't believe you're here man!" he cried, pumping a fist in the air. Everyone politely ignored the tears now streaming down his cheeks. Bozer then stepped aside as Matty moved toward the bed. Mac met her gaze with a bleary attempt at a smile. After a long moment Matty gave Mac's hand a gentle squeeze and smiled.

"Good to have you back Blondie," she said softly. Mac's smile widened slightly and his eyes closed. It didn't escape anyone's attention that his other hand had automatically tightened on Jack's. As soon as they were certain he was asleep, the group began to talk.

"How?" Riley asked in wonder, unable to take her eyes off her sleeping friend. Jack shrugged and shook his head.

"Hell if I know. I just can't believe…" Jack trailed off, fixing Mac's blanket affectionately. The group talked for a few more minutes, then sat in companionable silence, simply enjoying the presence of their friend.

After a while, Matty had to go back upstairs and deal with Nikki's goons. She didn't say anything about the body bag Jack had left in the jet, giving him a look that clearly said it would end up with black marker through it in a file at some point. Bozer glanced at his watch and said he'd go upstairs and help with cleanup, sensing that Jack and Riley needed some time to talk. Once he was gone, Jack met Riley's eyes.

"You okay kiddo?" he asked softly. Riley let out a short laugh.

"Okay? I'm better than okay, Mac's alive," Riley said softly. Jack nodded and waited, knowing she had something else on her mind. She sighed.

"I'm just so happy. All this time I thought…and because of me…" she trailed off, squeezing Mac's hand. Jack frowned. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Ri, are you sayin' you've spent this whole time thinkin' this was your fault?" he asked in surprise. Riley met his gaze.

"Of course, Jack, because it was my fault, or would have been…" she trailed off before continuing, "Nikki knew I was the weaker link and she used that to play you. She knew you'd pick Mac because he'd have a better chance of getting away. It's just the strategic logic in you, Jack," she poured out, fresh tears dripping down her face. Jack shook his head, reaching over to take Riley's hand.

"Now you listen ta me. If this was, or woulda been anybody's fault, it was mine. I made the choice, and I am thrilled like you wouldn't believe that Mac's alive, but God forbid even if he wasn't, it wouldn't have been your fault, ya hear me?" he said firmly. Riley nodded obediently and smiled.

"Thanks Jack," she said softly, giving his fingers a squeeze. Jack grinned and squeezed back. Riled cast one more look at Mac then slowly stood.

"I'm gonna go figure out the tech situation up there," she said, turning to go. As she made it to the door, Jack spoke.

"Hey Ri?" he said, waiting for her to turn around, "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I shoulda been there for you too," he said, having thought back on his actions. Riley smiled.

"It's okay." With that she left the two men alone in the quiet room. Jack turned toward Mac's sleeping figure.

"Well now it's just you and me bud," he said, placing a calloused hand on Mac's bony one. Settling in, Jack watched the rise and fall of Mac's chest, thanking his lucky stars that he had his brother back.

 **That's all for now! Stay tuned for more! Thanks to some of your reviews, I have decided to expand Mac's recovery a bit. Again thanks so much for reading and please feel free to review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! As always thank you for visiting this story and an even bigger thank you to all of you who reviewed, favorited, and followed it! I mean it when I say I truly appreciate all the kind words you have to say!**

 **Axxonly- Thank you! I appreciate that! And I only meant I'd hold off on the epilogue because I'll be writing more chapters haha! Sorry for the confusion.**

 **DIwells51- Thank you! I really appreciate your kind words!**

 **Guest: Thank you! Wish granted haha!**

 **Effie17- Thank you! But there's still more in store haha!**

 **JustADreamer24- Oh alright if you insist…haha!**

 **Guest: Thank you very much! I do hope to write more as time allows and I would be more than happy to do my best with any requests.**

 **Guest: Thanks! Haha!**

 **Disclaimer: I think you get the point by now…I don't own 'em.**

As Jack sat watching the slow rise and fall of MacGyver's chest, he found no matter how hard he tried he couldn't look away. Irrational fears tickled the back of his mind, whispering that if he closed his eyes, he'd wake up and it would all have been a dream. With a sigh, Jack rubbed his face.

"Ya know kid, all the time I've spent doin' this right here and never once did I think I'd be happy about it," Jack began, knowing Mac couldn't hear him, but unable to stand the silence anymore. Jack felt tears welling in his eyes and decided he was too tired to fight them.

"Ya make me feel like an old geezer, dude," he rambled on, watching Mac's slack face for signs of stirring. "I swear man any longer and I'd have been a silver fox for all the grey hairs you been givin' me." Jack swallowed hard and leaned closer, staring as one of his tears dripped onto Mac's hand still clasped in his. He wiped it away with his thumb and squeezed his partner's hand slightly tighter.

"I really thought…" he started, struggling to speak through the tightness in his throat, "I really thought you were gone for real this time pal. I saw…I watched that bitch kill you. I still don't know how ya did it, but man I sure am glad ya did. I don't know what I woulda done…We were fallin' apart without you Mac," Jack said, his voice husky with emotion, tears still dripping from his eyes. He was startled when Mac's eyes flickered open and met his.

"Jack," he whispered, his fingers automatically tightening on the older man's. Jack didn't even bother trying to wipe away his tears.

"Yeah man. I'm here and I ain't goin' nowhere," he said gently. Mac smiled tiredly.

"Thanks for everything you did. I know killing Nikki must have…" Jack put up a hand to stop Mac's speech.

"You listen here bucko, I had been waitin' to do that since Lake Como, which by the way is where she died you'll be pleased to know," Jack said with his trademark grin. Mac's eyes widened.

"For real?" he asked incredulously. Jack smiled and let out a chuckle, trying to ignore how young that simple action had made Mac seem. He nodded triumphantly.

"Yup, ya know what they say. Karma's a bitch," he said with another chuckle. Mac managed a small laugh that ended with a slight wheeze. Jack's smile immediately vanished and he automatically looked Mac over. His color was looking slightly better and his hands weren't as cold as before so that was something. His concern did not go unnoticed.

"I'm okay," Mac whispered pointedly, meeting Jack's eyes. Jack smiled and felt more tears leak from his eyes. He couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Yeah, ya are, aren't ya?" he said with a tender smile. Mac returned the smile with one of his own.

"Thanks to you big guy," Mac said, his own affection carrying through in his raspy voice. Jack grinned.

"Not so dumb now am I? I disarmed a bomb you built," he said feigning arrogance. Mac managed another small laugh.

"Yeah only because I talked you through it," he shot back, enjoying the familiarity of their banter. For a long moment neither man said anything, then Jack sobered.

"So…how'd ya do it?" he asked, dreading hearing about the horrid incident again, but somehow needing to know how Mac had cheated death. Mac's smiled faded too.

"I didn't do anything, Jack," he said, a note of resignation in his tone. Jack frowned.

"Whaddaya mean you didn't do anything? I saw her…I saw you…" Jack couldn't make himself speak it again. Mac nodded.

"It wasn't me," he began, only lending to Jack's confusion. Mac continued, "She had a body staged to look like me, down to the last detail," Mac shuddered but continued, "I saw it right before they knocked me out. When I came to I was tied to a chair in some strange room. Then Nikki started coming in…" Mac swallowed hard and Jack squeezed his hand. Mac took a deep breath and spoke again, "She talked to me off and on a few times…told me you thought I was dead. I didn't believe her. I told her over and over again that you guys would come for me…Then she showed me the video," Mac hung his head and Jack squeezed his fingers again.

"What video bud?" he asked softly. Mac shuddered again.

"It was what you guys saw," Mac whispered, meeting Jack's eyes woefully, "She'd set up cameras before we got there. She knew exactly how it would play out the whole time," Mac swallowed again, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

Jack's heart caught in his throat. Mac had seen how his 'death' had played out. He'd seen how genuine their reactions were. More importantly, Nikki's plan had worked perfectly because Mac had known they weren't coming for him. Jack felt sick.

"Listen bro, I gotta tell you I am so sorry, and I know sorry don't even begin to cover it…" Mac shook his head, stopping Jack mid-sentence.

"You had no idea, and if we were in the same situation, I'd tell you to make the exact same decision," Mac said determinedly. It was Jack's turn to shudder.

"I just hope we ain't never in this situation again," he said determinedly, his eyes meeting Mac's, "I can't go through that again," he whispered through the emotion clogging his throat. Mac smiled, blinking blearily.

"True that," he mumbled. Unable to contain himself any longer, Jack stood up and wrapped Mac in a gentle but firm hug, a few sobs shaking his frame.

"I didn't know how I was gonna go on man," Jack whispered, tears pouring from his eyes. Mac did the best he could to return the hug, but his hand kept slipping. Mac spoke.

"You…Y-you w'dve…" Mac's words slurred and Jack felt a tremble shake his bony frame. Straightening up, Jack frowned as his worry-meter skyrocketed.

"Mac? What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to let his fear carry into his words. Mac turned glazed eyes to him and blinked, as if trying to process what Jack was saying. He opened his mouth to answer, but before Mac could get a word out, his eyes unfocussed and rolled up into his head. As Jack watched in horror, tremors began to wrack Mac's emaciated frame, his limbs jerking unnaturally in the throes of a seizure.

Jack didn't realize he was shouting Mac's name, didn't notice as medical personnel swarmed the room, only registering them when they physically moved him. He looked on in frozen fear as alarms sounded and more people crowded in, his heart freezing in his chest when he saw a wildly irregular line on what was supposed to be the heart monitor. Someone grabbed his arm and took him into the hallway, closing the door in his face. He couldn't process their words, didn't have the wherewithal to try. Leaning his back against the wall, Jack slowly slid down it, buried his face in his arms and tried to muffle his sobs.

 **Oh dear…I'm sorry I just couldn't help myself. Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more, and please feel free to review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! I deeply apologize for how long it has taken me to update. I got really busy with the holidays and whatnot. Once again, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorite this story! It makes my day to see that people are enjoying it! Thanks again!**

 **jo1966- Thank you! So glad you are enjoying it!**

 **JustADreamer24- Wow thank you! I really appreciate your kind words! Also, yeah, poor Jack is having a rough time of it. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **anyctophilian- I'm so sorry! I will make it better haha! And yup, poor Jack's about at the end of his rope. I hope you'll enjoy how that plays out in this chapter!**

 **Effie17- Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words! Enjoy!**

 **raine2460- I am so sorry for the confusion! But not the cliffhanger haha! No but really I am so glad you are enjoying this story! Thank you and I hope you like what's in store!**

 **Msdib- I try haha! Thank you and I hope you enjoy!**

 **parisindy- Thank you! Enjoy!**

 **Long Live BRUCAS- Thank you! I tried to make this a unique twist haha! And thank you for keeping me on my toes with the plot! I will address that issue in this chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Tardimpalarts- Thank you so much! Wait no longer haha! Enjoy!**

 **QuestRunner- Wow thank you so much for your kind words! That means a lot to me! I don't know what it is that makes this show so amazing, but it sure is! I agree, I was so upset when I saw we had to wait two weeks for the next episode! Poor Mac. I can't wait to see how he finagles his way out of that one! Thank you for reading and enjoy!**

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder and his reflexes had his hand on his gun before his watery eyes met Matty's concerned ones. His shoulders slumped and he relaxed his hold on his gun, turning his face away from his boss's gaze. Matty stood quietly for a moment before speaking softly.

"What's going on Jack?" she asked, worry clouding her voice as well. Jack scrubbed a hand over his face and cleared his throat.

"He uh…he had a seizure," Jack said huskily, still avoiding Matty's line of sight. He heard a soft gasp and waited.

"Do they know why?" she asked, immediately all business again. Earlier in their relationship, Jack would have been miffed that she seemed not to care, but now he understood that Matty's tough exterior was how she dealt with emotion. He swallowed.

"I dunno. They shoved me out here and they're still in with him," Jack said with a nod toward the closed door. Matty was quiet for a moment longer then she moved over to look Jack in the eye.

"And how are you holding up?" she asked with more softness and compassion than he'd ever heard from her. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Jack's demeanor crumpled and he clamped a hand over his face to muffle his sobs. There was a part of him that was mortified that he was crying in front of his boss, but all the pent up emotions from the last month had decided to make themselves known. He couldn't stop if he tried.

After a few minutes, Jack managed to pull himself together and was startled to find Matty rubbing his shoulder soothingly. Looking up at her, he sniffled and very inelegantly wiped his nose on his shirt. Matty frowned but chose not to say anything. When Jack had quieted she spoke.

"Look at me Jack," she said in a voice somewhere between an order and a friendly request. He did and she gave him a soft smile. "I know you think of Mac as your responsibility. Hell, we all do, but just because he tends to need some protection sometimes doesn't mean he's weak. That man in there has cheated death more times than either of us know, and this time is no exception. He came back, Jack, when none of us thought he would. It's going to be a rough road, but it's one that he's still going to travel, and that's what's important," Matty finished sincerely. Jack nodded slowly.

"I didn't know what I was gonna do Matty," he said, blaming his sudden forthcoming attitude on his current emotional state. Matty gave him a stern look.

"Jack Dalton, you would've continued to be a damned good man and agent. You may be Mac's partner because you two work together better than any team I've ever met, but that's not all you are. You aren't just the brawn to Mac's brain. You are a skilled agent and you would have continued to help people in your own way," Matty leaned closer to Jack's face, "I know how much you and Mac care for each other, which is why I know that you know Mac wouldn't have wanted you to go off on some suicide mission because you lost him. I am thrilled beyond belief that we have Mac back, but I want it perfectly clear that you could have continued without him, understood?" Matty said sharply.

Had it been anyone else, Jack would have been pissed, but he simply smiled and nodded, knowing once again that it was Matty's way of showing she cared.

"Now," Matty began, stepping back and straightening her jacket, suddenly all business, "I'm going to go throw rank around until I can find out what the hell is going on with my agent," she smiled at Jack and set off down the hall. With a sigh, Jack got up and prepared to follow. Just as he started to however, the door opened. A nurse he hadn't seen before glanced around the hallway, his eyes landing on Jack.

"Jack?" he asked simply, politely ignoring Jack's bedraggled state. Jack nodded hopefully.

"Yeah that's me, is he okay?" Jack asked, cutting straight to the point. The man smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, he's going to be fine. It is difficult to replenish someone who has been malnourished for a prolonged amount of time. It has to be done slowly or else there's a risk of Refeeding Syndrome and Hypophosphatemia, which is unfortunately what Mr. MacGyver experienced. The sudden increase in carbohydrates can lead to a depletion of phosphate in the blood…" Jack interrupted.

"I appreciate ya tryin' to explain it, but all I really wanna know is if my boy in there's gonna be okay," Jack said with a nod toward the door. The nurse smiled again.

"Yes sir, as far as we can tell we caught the symptoms early and treated them. We will of course continue to monitor him, but he is awake now and insistently asking for you," the nurse said with a laugh. Jack smiled and slapped the man on the back as he took of toward the door.

"Thanks pal!" he called over his shoulder as he stepped into the room. He wasn't prepared for the involuntary flip-flop his heard did when he saw Mac in the bed. He was several shades paler, almost a translucent blue-grey, and they had hooked him up to a few more machines along with an oxygen mask. Jack frowned when he saw Mac's wrists in restraints.

"What the hell is this?" he growled at the nearest medical person, which happened to be the nurse who had followed him into the room. The man calmly raised his hands to explain.

"He kept fighting us and trying to take the mask off," the man said gently, obviously having figured out it was not a good idea to anger Jack. "We only did it for his own good, and we will remove them as soon as we feel he won't try anything again." Jack walked over to Mac's bedside. He could see raw fear in the young man's eyes as he scrunched his face against the mask. Jack placed a comforting hand on Mac's shoulder.

"I know bud, but it's there to help ya okay? You gotta leave it on til you get to feelin' better," he murmured soothingly, staring sincerely into Mac's eyes. Blinking a few times Mac nodded blearily then his eyes drifted closed. Jack tried to ignore the way his heart jumped in his chest before he realized Mac had simply fallen asleep. Letting out a sigh, Jack turned back to the nurse.

"Sorry 'bout that. He had a uh…let's just say an unpleasant experience with a mask once, so now they all kinda freak him out," Jack said by way of explanation. The nurse nodded understandingly and left the two men alone. Jack once again took a seat beside Mac's bed, taking his hand firmly.

"I swear bro, you're gonna give me a stroke one of these days," Jack muttered jokingly. He sat silently, again watching the rise and fall of Mac's chest and letting it reassure him that his brother was really back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over the next few days, Mac's health continued to improve. They were able to take out most of the tubes and wires, and much to Mac's pleasure, remove the oxygen mask. He still had an IV for fluids but as long as he agreed to keep eating regularly, the doctor said he would be able to go home.

It was after that conversation that Jack walked into the room and found an empty bed. His heart jumped into his throat as his mind flew through hundreds of horrific possibilities. Jack was very near panic mode when he heard a noise behind him. He turned and let out a relieved sigh.

A nurse was standing beside Mac as he made his way slowly into the room. Jack frowned and was about to go into what Bozer called a "Papa Bear" rant when the nurse shot him a look.

"I was just taking Mac here for a short walk to get him up and around before he goes home," she said sweetly, completely unfazed by Jack's glare. Over the last days, most of them had become accustomed to his grouchy protectiveness over Mac.

"Woulda been nice if somebody'd told me," Jack grumbled, to which both Mac and the nurse laughed. After getting Mac settled on the bed again, the woman scribbled something on a clipboard and left. Jack turned to Mac.

"So, how ya feelin' pal?" he asked, scrutinizing his partner. Mac was still far too thin, but the doctor said the weight would come back in time. His skin looked much better and Jack had even managed to sneak in a barber to give him a haircut.

It was Mac's eyes though that Jack studied. Though he looked tired and frail, there was a spark of life in them that hadn't been there a few days prior.

"I'm…good," Mac seemed to decide on after some thought. He turned to Jack and smiled, "Glad to be going home." Jack returned his partner's grin.

"Me too bro, I swear they hunt up the most uncomfortable chairs just to put them in these rooms," Jack said with a laugh. Mac laughed too, putting a hand to his chest as his breath wheezed a bit. Jack's smile vanished as he studied his partner with concern.

"You okay man?" he asked, doing his best to sound nonchalant. Mac looked up and gave him a tired smile.

"Yeah, they said that'll be normal for a while," he responded, sitting up straighter as if to prove a point. Jack squinted at him then accepted the answer with a grunt. He'd have to keep an eye on that.

As he was about to comment, Jack heard a cluster of footsteps in the hall and turned just as the rest of the gang arrived. They'd heard Mac was coming home and had come to celebrate with him.

Riley walked up to the bed and handed Mac a small gift bag. Mac took it with a smile of thanks and opened it, his smile turning to delight when he pulled out a box of industrial paperclips and a roll of duct tape.

"Thanks Riles," he said with a laugh, hugging her affectionately. Bozer stepped forward.

"Hey that's from all of us you know," he said, dodging a fake punch from Riley. He stepped forward and gave Mac a hug of his own.

"It's gonna be great to have you home again," he said, trying to pass off the moisture in his eyes. Matty nudged Bozer aside and stepped up to the bed.

"It's good to have you back Blondie, and I had better not hear of you not following doctor's orders or I'll send Sally to be your personal home care nurse," Matty threated warmly, though Mac didn't doubt her seriousness for a moment. He nodded quickly.

"Yes ma'am," he said sincerely, widening his eyes in his best attempt to look innocent. They all laughed and continued to talk. After a while, the doctor discharged Mac and he happily left with the others.

As Jack drove the familiar road to Mac and Bozer's house, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the blonde in the passenger seat. He looked a little better in sunlight, and it was obvious that he was enjoying the freedom. Mac caught him looking and grinned.

"What?" he asked, staring back at Jack. Jack chuckled.

"Nothin' man, I'm just…real glad we're here," he said simply, fighting the tightness in his throat. Mac swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yeah me too… If Nikki had gotten her way…" Mac shuddered, unwanted memories flashing into his head. Jack frowned.

"Yeah… What the hell did she want anyway?" he asked, suddenly realizing they still didn't know her motive, "I mean, why'd she have you erasin' all that stuff?" Mac wrinkled his brow.

"It's a little fuzzy, but I think she was planning on erasing her and all of her cronies' files so they could go off the grid and be untraced. Her first priority was to take down Phoenix because she knew we had the most information on her. And if she managed to kill everyone who knew her personally…" Mac trailed off, thinking about just how 'personally' he'd known her. Jack clenched his jaw and nodded slowly.

"Well you don't ever gotta worry about that again bro," he said, trying to sound cheerful. Mac smiled and nodded, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. Jack's Mac radar went off and he studied him for a moment.

"It ain't your fault, ya know?" Jack said softly. Mac raised his eyes and Jack was shocked to see tears glistening there.

"She knew exactly how to tear us apart and it was all because of me," Mac whispered, suddenly very interested in his hands. Jack grumbled under his breath and pulled the car over. The rest of the gang had gone to get pizza before meeting at Mac's so they had a minute. Jack turned to Mac with a stern look.

"Alright let's get one thing straight here. If there is anybody at fault here, besides señorita psychopath, it's me. I'm the one that made the decision, so y'all need to stop tryin' to borrow blame, alright?" Jack finished firmly. Mac blinked and shook his head.

"Jack it's not your fault either. You did what any good agent should have done. You were faced with an impossible choice and I'd do the exact same thing in your shoes," Mac said sincerely. Jack swallowed hard and clapped Mac's shoulder gently.

"You know what brother, how 'bout we just go with it's all Nikki's fault?" he asked with a smile. Mac grinned and nodded.

"Yeah let's do that," he said, punching Jack's arm affectionately. With that Jack grinned and took off, the two of them still beating the rest of the group home.

When Bozer, Riley, and Matty walked in they all hugged Mac, who Jack had parked on the couch with firm orders not to overdo it. As they all talked and laughed, Jack leaned back in his chair. He saw Riley snag a slice of pizza from Bozer's plate as he dramatically reenacted a scene from a movie.

Jack watched Matty laugh and admonish Bozer even as she egged him on. He caught the flash of silver in Mac's hands that meant yet another paperclip was being formed into some wacky shape. Jack sighed and leaned back with a smile. Of course there would be rough times to come, but for now at least his family was safe.

 **Ack the feels! I hope you've enjoyed this little venture and don't forget to stay tuned for the epilogue! Once again, thank you so very much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorited! Please feel free to keep it up! Your words mean so much to me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello to anyone who is still reading! I am so very sorry it has taken me this long to get the epilogue up. My grandpa actually passed away so I haven't felt much like writing. Once again I appreciate everyone's reviews and kind words! Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this story! I hope you have enjoyed it! Thank you again!**

 **JustADreamer24- Thank you! I too have always loved the dynamic between Jack and Matty and I wanted to put something in there involving that. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Effie17- Thank you! I appreciate that!**

 **Long Live BRUCAS- I agree haha! Thank you for reading!**

 **WynonaRose- Thank you! I may write other stories as inspiration strikes haha!**

THREE MONTHS LATER

Jack rounded the corner and stopped short, his blood turning to ice in his veins. It was Mac's first mission back in the field, a "simple reconnaissance mission," meaning of course it had gone to shit in the first fifteen minutes. Why Jack ever believed missions would be "simple" when they said they were was beyond him. However, that's exactly what had gotten them into this situation; trapped in an underground facility with hostile guards at every possible exit. They'd (very begrudgingly on Jack's part) agreed to split up when Mac said he had a plan to get them out.

That had been one hour ago, and Jack had been adamant they meet up again after twenty minutes. When Mac hadn't shown up he'd borderline panicked, but after a moment he managed to convince himself that the genius had gotten stuck inside his head and forgotten about their rendezvous.

Now as he stood stone still, staring at the scene before him, he knew this was not the case. Mac was on his knees with his hands raised in surrender. One of the guards, clad in Kevlar and a helmet, stood with one hand on Mac's shoulder, his gun trained unflinchingly on Mac's head. Jack swallowed hard and saw the slightest tremble in his hands, which held his own gun trained on the guard. Images swirled through his mind against his will. Another place…another gun on Mac's head…blood and brain dripping from golden locks. Jack clenched his jaw so hard he thought he heard teeth crack and leveled his gun again on the man. The guard had the gall to grin.

"This guy means a lot to you, hm? Drop the gun and he lives," the guard sneered, having noticed Jack's reaction. Jack didn't move. The man had his gun pressed to the back of Mac's head, meaning there was a slight possibility that even if Jack did manage the one in a million shot right between the man's eyes, his hand could spasm and pull the trigger. The man seemed to be getting irritated.

"Look man, this can go two ways, you drop it and we get outta here and you just might get goldilocks here back, or you shoot at me, I kill him and you and leave, your choice pal," the man growled. Jack felt like he'd just taken a tire iron to the jaw. His choice. His choice whether Mac lived or died…he couldn't do it…not again.

Jack was about to react when he caught Mac's eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the determination and utmost trust there. Almost imperceptibly, Mac shook his head once, making it clear that Jack should absolutely not put down his gun. Jack nodded slightly to show his understanding and leveled his gun resolutely. The guard smirked.

"Suit yourself buddy," he growled. Then several things happened at once. A gunshot…Mac falling to the ground…another gunshot…the guard collapsing…Jack's frantic yell.

Jack rushed over to Mac faster than he thought possible, his hand trembling as he went to reach for a pulse. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as Mac groaned and slapped his hand away. The young man sat up and shook his head, wincing as he put a hand to a small, bleeding cut on his ear. Looking at Jack with wide eyes, he slowly turned around to see the guard sprawled on the ground, a hole smack between his eyes.

"Thanks partner," Mac said, the slight breathiness of his voice the only giveaway that he'd been more than shaken by the ordeal. Clearly he'd been having unpleasant memories too. Jack squeezed his shoulder.

"Anytime bro…anytime…" he said fondly, the unspoken words traveling between them with complete understanding.

The men made quick work of the rest of the guards and went back to the Phoenix Foundation, where the rest of their family was waiting to welcome them home.

 **Aaaaand that's a wrap folks! Thank you so very much to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this story. It has been so uplifting to read your reviews and see that people enjoyed it. You all mean so much to me!**


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